Relation
by Kishire-Zangetsu
Summary: Ichigo hasn't seen his cousin, Naruto, in some time. He would have liked to keep it that way.


…I'm sorry. Lol. Technically this could be considered a crossover, but I feel like it fit better in the Bleach section, so...yeah. Ignore mistakes and enjoy.

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><p>Ichigo wasn't exactly sure how he'd gotten into this situation.<p>

Wait, no, yes he was.

"_ICHIIIIIIIGOOOOOOOO~ MY DARLING SON, COME DOWN HERE FOR A MOMENT!"_

_Ichigo sighed hard and marked the page of the book he was reading. "What do you want, Goatface? I'm busy!"_

"_BUT IT'S A MATTER OF FAMILY, SOOOOOON~! COME HERE! YOUR FATHER HAS A SURPRISE FOR YOU~!"_

"_WILL YOU QUIT YELLING, OLD MAN? I'M SURE THEY HEARD YOU IN AFRICA!"_

_Ichigo looked up at that voice. 'Who the hell?' he wondered, pushing away from his desk and grabbing a different shirt so he could change out of his pajamas. 'It's Saturday, what the hell could anyone want?'_

_Scowling, the redhead trotted downstairs, ready to yell at his dad for interrupting his reading time…and maybe hit him once or twice._

"_What is it you stupid…old…man…?"_

_Ichigo blinked at the scene in front of him. His father was face down on the floor-not surprising in itself, but rather than Karin or himself (and hell, even Yuzu sometimes) doing the deed, there was a blonde teen about Ichigo's age standing over him, shaking a fist in the air._

"_AND QUIT TRYING TO HUG ME YOU WIERDO! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS UNCLE-ERO!"_

"_Now, Naruto, please stop yelling. There are enough loudmouths in this family as it is."_

_Ichigo turned at the new voice and almost guffawed. "I-Iruka?"_

_The brunette smiled. "Well, hello there Ichigo. I'm glad to see you remember me."  
><em>

_Ichigo shook his head. "Then you mean…that that guy…is really the little blonde idiot that used to jump the fence in the back and get stuck every time?"_

"_Hey, HEY. I bet I can jump it now," the blonde huffed. "You were always to chicken to try it anyway, so shut up, you."_

_The redhead shook his head again. "…Naruto, what are you doing here?"_

_The other smiled widely. "Didn't you hear? Uncle Shin invited us to spend the summer with you guys! Course, I didn't wanna, but then Iruka told me that your sister makes the best ramen like, EVER, so I had to come and see for myself."_

_Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Oh really."_

_Naruto frowned. "S'not like I came here for you. You're such a stick in the mud. And are you still a little crybaby? I still remember that time Tatsuki beat the hell outta you…"_

_Ichigo's eye twitched at that. "…I'll have you know-_

"_Now, now, boys, now is not the time for arguing. Why don't you two go get some fresh air while Isshin and I discuss some things? Ichigo, your sisters went to the market shortly after we got here, so Naruto's probably feeling lonely-"Hey!"-and he really missed you-"I DID NOT." Iruka ignored the other in favor of peeling his brother in law off the kitchen floor. "How my sister found it in her heart to marry you..." he started mumbling._

_The redhead shrugged. "Whatever. But the minute I hear 'Believe it!' I'm dumping him somewhere."_

"_Tch. If you think I'm still that guy from before, you're wrong." Naruto frowned at Ichigo, crossing his arms._

"_Dear God I hope so."_

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><p>"So, whadya guys do round here for fun?" Naruto asked. "Back home we usually just run around blowing things up or something."<p>

Ichigo suspected that might have been 'country bumpkin' for 'pranking people'. Or at least he hoped it was.

"Uh, I usually read or something. I prefer to keep to myself."

"….hn. So you are just as anal as you were back then."

"Wha-! I was _seven_!"

"So was I. You didn't see me acting all mopey and stuff."

"And yet, neither of us had any friends."

They both got silent at that. Ichigo could remember all the times when he was picked on for his odd hair color, or when someone bothered Naruto for the weird whisker-like marks on his face. He remembers when his mom died and he wouldn't speak to anyone for a while-the other kids calling him a mute, and how Naruto would speak for him-albeit in a very loud, very inappropriate manner-until he got the courage to talk again.

They at least had each other.

"…we had each other," the blonde shrugged, putting his hands behind his head.

Ichigo smiled softly.

"We could meet some of my friends at the old playground we used to hang at."

Naruto nodded.

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><p>"Bring it on, Blondie!"<p>

"Heh, you think you can beat me, Raisin-head? As if!"

"…why? I'm a good guy. I even make my bed everyday. I don't understand what I may have done to deserve this…"

"Well, geez, Ichigo, it's not the end of the world."

"Shut up, Rukia. You have no idea the kind of savage destruction these two are capable of when they're together."

"…they make a cute couple."

Ichigo spat out his soda. "Pft, what the hell, only you would say that."

"Well they do. Look at them circle each other like that. If that wasn't my girl, I'd be rooting for 'em."

"They're about to go in for the kill, you poor naïve soul."

Rukia shook her head and watched as Tatsuki and Naruto charged at each other in the middle of the park.

"Why did I even agree to this? He's been here all of two minutes and already I'm getting complaints to 'keep my dog restrained' from passerby. Dammit, Naruto…" he ignored the mother who covered her son's eyes at the violence.

"Doesn't Iruka do anything?"

"Of course he does. But have you ever had those big blue eyes pointed at you? Makes you feel like you just killed some kid's gerbil. And didn't say sorry."

The short girl shook her head. "You guys are two peas in a pod."

Ichigo gave her a look. "We are nothing alike."

"He'd say the same thing."

The redhead shook his head. He looked around, wondering how long it would take for law enforcement to come and tell them to go the fuck home. His eyes fell on a sleeping figure next to him.

"Hey, Starrk. Wake up." The brunette didn't move. Ichigo vaguely wondered why the hell he showed up if he was just going to sleep.

'I'm meeting someone here,' he had said.

"Just what the hell does that mean, anyway?" Ichigo muttered to himself, shaking his head and taking another sip of his soda.

"AAAAAARGHH!"

"Haha, and once again, the champion Arisawa proves her superiority to her foes by humiliating them with one blow!"

"You hit me twice!" Naruto craned his neck to look up at her. "And you cheated! We said no throws!"

"And you believed me?" she asked, giving him an 'are you _really_ that stupid' look.

"Yeah, well, what ever happened to chivalry, dammit? And get off, you're freakin' heavy!"

"MAKE ME."

Rukia laughed beside Ichigo. "Wow, match made in heaven."

"Nah, pretty sure he likes someone else," the redhead replied. It was silent for a moment before he noticed the short girl staring at him. He nearly spat his drink out again. "N-not me you insane fangirl!"

"I didn't say anything."

"…I hate you."

"Love you too, Ichigo."

Ichigo sighed-a favorite pastime of his apparently-and leaned back against the pole to the monkey bars. "I'm surrounded by idiots." He pointedly ignored the squawk that came somewhere from the fight in front of him.

Just then, music softly filtered through the air somewhere next to Ichigo. He looked around a bit before realizing Starrk's phone was ringing.

Really, 'The Lazy Song' couldn't have possibly been anyone else's ringtone.

"Starrk you lazy bastard, answer your damn phone." When there no response, Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Useless," he mumbled, reaching over to get Starrk's phone out of his pocket.

A hand grabbed his before he could though, and he jerked at the sudden grasp upon him. "Wha-

"You should mind people's personal space, Kurosaki," the brunette spoke, sounding completely awake despite the sleepy look in his cadet blue eyes.

Ichigo shivered-he always did whenever that look was directed at him. "You should answer you phone then, lazy-ass. There's only so much Bruno Mars I can take."

Starrk smiled a bit before reaching in his own pocket to answer his phone.

Ichigo went to turn but noticed that the other still had his hand. "Um…Starrk? If you could let go, that would be great." He ignored the giggles coming from the midget beside him.

"Hm? Oh, my bad." He let go, albeit very slowly. Ichigo flushed at the way their fingers brushed together at the movement.

"Aww, you two are so cute."

The redhead spun to see Tatsuki waggling her eyebrows at him, seemingly bored with pounding Naruto into the dirt at the moment.

"Sh-shut up, dammit." It was no secret that Ichigo like the lazy brunette, but he didn't need the whole world knowing that. He scowled and looked over to where Naruto was laying in the wreckage. Ichigo was about to say something when he noticed a funny look on the other's face. It appeared at first that he was looking at him, but upon following his line of sight, he saw that Naruto was actually looking at-

Oh _hell no_.

'Oh, come on,' Ichigo thought to himself. He knew he and the blonde were alike, but this was ridiculous. 'The same guy? _Really?'_

"So, you here yet?" Starrk yawned over the phone. "Then what did you call for? I was having a nice dream 'bout a strawberry…"

Ichigo choked on the air he was breathing.

"You okay there, Ichigo?" Rukia asked, grinning like the evil rabbit she was.

"…don't you have somewhere to be?" Ichigo asked harshly, hoping she'd leave.

Rukia's eyes widened dramatically. "Oh snap, Nii-sama wanted me to practice my ballet! I forgot!" she jumped up. "Crap, Tatsuki, can you take me home?"

The fighter laughed at her girlfriend's antics. "No prob, babe. As long as I get to help you stretch."

"Oh, eww," Naruto called from his spot in the sandbox.

"Shut the hell up, Blondie. You're just mad you don't have a girl as cute as Rukia."

"Or a girl at all," Ichigo mumbled.

"You're one to talk, Ichigo," Rukia smirked. "Poor boys, all these hormones and no one to release them with-

"Okay, goodbye Rukia. See you tomorrow." The redhead waved her off before she said anything else.

She shrugged and linked arms with the other raven haired girl as they headed over to the path leading back to the street.

Starrk yawned again. "Well, geez, Shikamaru, how am I supposed to know that? …yes, yes, I know how Auntie can be, Lilynette is the same way. Sure…do you see a cute guy with orange hair yet?"

Ichigo blushed slightly. "Jesus, Starrk, cut that out."

"Wow you're dumb."

The redhead looked up and saw Naruto standing over him. "You're one to talk."

Naruto shook his head. "Hot guy right here calls you cute and you ask him to stop. You're as bad as Sasuke."

"That smartass doesn't bear mentioning. And what about you and Hinata?"

The blonde blushed. "That was different! I honestly wasn't interested! Like you and Orihime!"

"That was different, too! Don't judge me!"

"Can you two quiet down a little? I'm trying to give my cousin directions."

"No need. As if directions from you could be useful anyway. Troublesome."

Ichigo watched as Naruto whipped his head around at the new voice. "Shika-chan! What the hell are you doing here?"

'Shika-chan?' the redhead wondered. He remembered some of Naruto's friends, but he was drawing a blank.

"I told you I was going to be out of town, didn't I? The question is what are you doing here?"

"Visiting my cousin. You?"

"Visiting my cousin."

The four of them all stared at each other a moment.

"…wow. What are the odds. And here I though I'd have a nice quiet vacation with Starrk here, but who should I run into but the loudest, brightest guy from my neighborhood?" Shikamaru said with a smirk. "How troublesome."

Naruto smiled, lightly punching the other's shoulder. "Shut up, you lazy bum! You forgot 'most awesome'! I missed you when you left! Good thing Iruka agreed to come visit Karakura!"

Ichigo watched his cousin interact with his…friend? And realized something. 'He must have looked at Starrk like that because he reminded him of this guy.' Even the way they stood was the same. It took Ichigo a minute to realize that Starrk was indeed standing and offering his hand to him.

"Oh, uh…thanks." Ichigo took the hand and heaved himself up, reaching back and brushing off the seat of pants. "So…now that we're all here-

"KARAOKE NIGHT, BELIEVE IT!"

The brunettes sighed. "Troublesome," they mumbled at the same time.

Ichigo shook his head, despite the smile forming on his face. He linked arms with Naruto and flicked the other's nose. "I don't see why not. You won't be here forever and it has been a while since I last creamed you at karaoke."

Naruto's eyes widened before he smiled, revealing bright white teeth. "Hell yeah! But if anyone's going to be doing the creaming, it's going to be me, just you wait! See, I knew we were related!" he pumped a fist in the air before jumping over to his friend's side.

'Unfortunately,' the redhead thought as Naruto began running his mouth about karaoke and lazy bastards and 'Oh I haven't had any ramen from a stand here yet, we should totally find one, Ichigo!' he watched as the blonde's hand found Shikamaru's as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"They make a cute couple, huh?" Starrk said from beside him. He swung an arm around Ichigo's neck casually.

"I suppose," Ichigo replied, face staying passive while his heart did a weird jig somewhere in the general vicinity of his throat.

"You and you're cousin are a little alike. Maybe not in looks, but taste in men, no?"

Ichigo laid his head on the other's shoulder. "Nah. I like my guys unshaven."

He received a slight chuckle in response.

"Hey! You guys better not be making out back there," Naruto said, looking back at them with a grin.

"Don't think I didn't see that little peck you gave Shikamaru, Naruto."

The blonde had the decency to blush. "Shut up!"

"Not so loud, Naruto. I'm sure he can hear you seeing as how he's three and a half feet behind you."

"I love when you talk smart."

The others chuckled at the blonde's antics as they walked down the street together.

"Oh yeah, I meant to tell you, Ichigo, I saw Grimmjow the other day."

"Down in that hick-town you call a home? What was he doing there?" the redhead asked.

"Visiting family I think. Good God, you shoulda seen Kiba. I thought _I_ hated cats…"

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><p>...I'm not sorry.<p> 


End file.
